Cape Broyle

Hazen organized the trip to Cape Broyle.  There were two groups to comply with health directives: one group of five and one group of one, me *lol*.  Cape Broyle is a scenic paddle destination.  It is also one of ten favourite places of our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.  If I remember correctly he had his stag party there.

Not long after getting underway I came upon this loon swimming along the shore.  It felt is was an apt representation of the loony times we currently live in.

The usual first destination in Cape Broyle is Horsechops River Falls.  Surprisingly very much subdued at this time of year given spring runoff should be underway.

We started off along the north side of the harbour and at The Narrows we crossed over to the south side.  There are a number of sea stacks on that side as well as caves and massive cliffs like ...

 ... here!

Showertime!  We each took turns under this stream of cascading water that fell from some 20 meters.  Bone chilling but exhilarating.  No chickening out was tolerated *lol*

One of a number of caves.

The destination of Cape Broyle was predicated on the tide being at maximum when we arrived.  That allowed us to get over a rocky entrance and into and thru a tunnel.  There was a little bit of wave action guarding the entrance that Clyde and I got over no problem.  The others opted to go around which was unfortunate to miss the opportunity.

This is not said tunnel but one of the caves yet, it gives a pretty good idea of what the tunnel exit looks like.

Ashleigh and Hazen are dwarfed by the sea stack as you enter Lance Cove.  Lance Cove is the usual destination and turn around point for club paddles.  We debated having lunch here but decided we'd carry on further east and have lunch at ...

... Church Cove.  We turned into the cove into a head wind and found a bit of swell made for a tricky surf landing on the dumping beach.  All hands made an uneventful landing and after lunch, an uneventful launch.

18.5 kms after leaving the put-in we were back, got out of our padding gear, loaded the kayaks aboard the vehicles and congratulated ourselves on an outstanding day, all at a safe distance apart.

Cape Broyle surprise

Friday there were two mixed forecasts for Saturday.  One was for drizzle and rain showers; the other for cloudy skies.  I suggested making a decision Saturday morning.  In the morning Brian suggested Cape Broyle as we had not been there in a while.

Brian, Cathy, Clyde, Dean, Roy, Sue, Terry and I drove to Cape Broyle and as we arrived our eyes just popped out our heads with the size of icebergs at the head of the bay.

The paddle in Cape Broyle followed the usual recipe when we paddle there.  The first stop was to check out the falls where Horsechops River tumbles into the sea.

Then it was east until we reached the Narrows, the narrowest point in the harbour where we crossed to the south side.

We paddled between seastacks and the shore and ...

... under dominating cliffs with waterfalls and ...

... the signature seastack in Lance Cove where we stopped for a bite to eat as it was 12:30, all the while with the icebergs on our minds.

Back in the boats we paddled further east out the harbour where several bergs floated on the water, here framed between a rock and the cliff.

Dean and I paddled closer to shore and checked out this smaller berg first before I ..

... paddled out to the main attraction.  This berg was huge with four towers (three visible in this shot) all joined to a base underwater.

I was joined by Cathy, Clyde, Roy and Terry.

I paddled around the iceberg which showed a different face and on the right, the shorter fourth tower.

We hung out for a while before Cathy, Clyde and I were the last to head back to the takeout.  With the boats loaded on the cars and the wet gear stowed, the eight of us had a bite to eat at the restaurant before leaving for home..

I did not expect to see an iceberg when I left town.  I knew there were many, many off of our shores and with the recent northerly winds there will be dozens to to visit this year as can be seen on this ...

... Environment Canada chart of icebergs in iceberg alley.

Cape Broyle shows her raw side

I got a message earlier in the week that two kayak enthusiasts would be visiting over the weekend.  Between Alex, Hazen and myself we managed to get them outfitted.  I then got most of the gang together to accompany them for a paddle in Cape Broyle.

There are places on drive to Cape Broyle with a view of the sea.  I could see that a sizeable swell was running and smashing up the rocks where it met the coast, but not here as we started the paddle to ...

... the first attraction in Cape Broyle - Horsechops Falls.

We dwelled in the still waters of the small cove checking out the falls.

The usual tour of Cape Broyle proceeds up the north shore from the falls up to The Narrows where we usually cross to the south side.  In the more open crossing we got our first hint of the swell that ...

... really bashed ashore.  Paddling well offshore was not challenging but handrailing most of the way east was a blast paddling in the swell and clapotis.

While it was fun paddling in the conditions, it was disappointing that the caves along the way were not accessible.  So, we had to content ourselves with the conditions, here paddling behind the signature sea stack in Lance Cove.

The original plan was to stop for lunch at Church Cove but we felt Lance Cove offered a safer option to get off the water.  I made a perfect surf landing which immediately got less elegant as I wasn't quick enough to haul the kayak out of surf reach.  The kayak pulled out of my hand in the retreating wave, flipped on the next wave, filled with sand and water, washed up on the rocks but was no worse for wear and tear when safely pulled ashore.

We all got back on the water without incident to continue east to check out Cathedral Cave.  As we approached I watched to see what the swell was doing at the mouth of the cave.  It was ...

... doable.  It was a good swell but no breaking waves.  I entered as deeply as I dared with the sound of water booming at the rear of the cave, turned and got some shots of the crew outside.

Satisfied we turned back impressed with the conditions along the shore and the ...

... geology, here where Eleanor checked out this downward bending anticline in the rocks.

We stopped for a coffee and a bite to eat at the restaurant where we pulled tables together for 11 bodies.  Our visitors Eleanor and Monica thoroughly enjoyed their day which I gathered from their constantly beaming smiles.  They just fit in seamlessly with the group as if we had known them forever.  It was an awesome day but the best part was, I've got two new friends.

A fine day in Cape Broyle, if it was January

Nine of us were in Cape Broyle today for a day paddle.  It was 7C but with the wind chill it felt like 3C.  That would be a fine day in January but on July 2nd, dreadful.  It speaks volumes though about the crew today.

The wind was forecasted to be 10 knots SE but it looked more like ESE as it was pretty much in our faces as we paddled east from the put-in.

A usual stop along the north side of the harbour is at Horsechops Falls where the river meets the sea.

We crossed at "The Narrows" to the south side.  Here, the black slates of the St. John's Formation are compressed and folded into an anticline.  Notice the curved beds with the convex up!

It was a relaxed paddle stopping every now and then to examine sea stacks along the way.

Low tide had been reached a hour earlier and I wondered if we'd be able to get into the tunnel.  As luck would have it, the rising water had risen enough for us to gain entrance.

Some of us grabbed a shower at this waterfall but it was chilly and a sudden cool down.

There were caves to explore.

We entered Lance Cove with its impressive sea stack.  The plan was ...

... to carry on to Church Cove but Eugene decided to get out at Lance Cove.  Brian went to check on him.  He was OK to stop there for lunch by himself but as we made our way towards Church Cove the plan began to come apart.  Dean, Shane and Ron thought they should go back with Eugene.  Brian, Cathy, Gary, Sue and myself continued on for a while until Brian and Sue also signaled they were returning to Lance Cove.  At that point Cathy, Gary and I felt compelled to also return.

I was disappointed but sometimes these things can't be helped.  In the end it was better to stay together.  There will be other days to make Church Cove and check out the huge cave called Cathedral Cave.

Neither snow nor rain is an excuse

The forecast for today was heavy rain.  Some of our paddling friends had reasons for not paddling and two of the guys paddled closer to home.  Dean, Shane and I drove the 70 kms to Cape Broyle for our weekly fix.

We have had a lot of rain recently as was evident when we arrived at the terminus of Horse Chops River.  There was a good flow of water at the falls.

Shane examines a small anticline, an downward facing warp in the sedimentary rocks.  I'm not sure if he realized what we were looking at but at least he knows now!

There was water running everywhere.  So far we hadn't run into the torrential rain.  I wondered when it would start.

The further east we paddled the more massive the cliffs became.  Here the lines separating the sedimentary beds are highlighted by growth of vegetation in places.

Cape Broyle is a beautiful place to paddle, even in the rain, but this tunnel is my favourite feature.  When Shane suggested the day's destination I checked the tide tables.  It was going to be near high tide while we were here so I knew it would be accessible.

There are also numerous caves in Cape Broyle harbour.  Nearby, I entered this cave and caught Shane at the entrance.

At Freshwater Cove we saw our largest waterfall for the day.

We entered Lance Cove with is offshore sea stack.  This is usually the turnaround point for club paddles but we didn't stop there, instead crossing through the cove on our way to Church Cove where we planned for lunch.  Between Lance Cove and Church Cove there are ...

... numerous off shore rocks.  Deep in the harbour it was calm.  Further out we started to feel a bit of swell which made for more interesting paddling.

We arrived at Church Cove and took out for lunch.  If the truth be told, it wasn't fit for man nor beast.  Except us.  It was raining and resting for lunch the chill began to set in.  Dean and I had our cags which made it pleasant enough as we were entertained by a half dozen or more seals.

After lunch the sea state changed dramatically building until we ...

... paddled out into the open ocean past North Point where it was huge.  Some swells had long wavelengths but volumes of water.  Interspersed were breaking waves of 2 meters that, when paddled over, caused a precipitous drop and plop on the down side.  Dean got a better shot of the conditions on his blog.

We were surprised by the change in conditions and by its effects that were felt a full 5 kms into the harbour.  It wasn't until we were past Gentlemans Cove that the sea flattened again protected by Brigus Head at the north entrance.

So, for 5 kms we had some great surfing and then a relaxed paddle back to the take-out where hot coffee and soup waited for us at the Riverside Restaurant.

Awesome day guys!  Thanks.